Dispensing from a cornie keg

[youreds91]

Hi all
I have decided to cease all grain beer brewing & concentrate on wine instead. As I get older I prefer wine more than beer now, & the AG process is time consuming & dangerous to a degree with all that boiling hot wort.

I intend to utilise as much existing kit as possible which includes 6 cornies (4 of which fit perfectly in a dedicated fridge).

I wondered if anyone had any experience of dispensing from a cornie? It seems all I need to do is change the CO2 for NO2 so as not to carbonate the wine.
This method should allow a longer storage time than the bag in boxes you can get.

What do you think?

[koomber]

One of the members here , Cellar_Rat, will be along at some point. He uses Cornie kegs to dispense wine. I'm sure he will be quite happy to offer you any advice.

[Cellar_Rat]

ooooo a pet subject - ta for the intro matey!

Yes indeed. Wine does well in corny kegs. 3 x 18 litres corny kegs take the contents of a 54 carboy boootifully.

5 PSI moves it nicely. Don't leave wine under C02 for too long it will absorb it.

no2 ?? Miixed gas IMO is better, if you drink it very slowly the last couple of glasses sometimes get slight taint - it natures way of telling you to drink quicker.

Get an extra 'in' connector and use this to back wash the dip tube.

TFR (aka truck wash) is a brill cleaning solution to get any red wine staining off.

Store with a splash of spirit in (cheap Vodka will do) to ensure not funky pongs. When you want it recycle the vodka and fill. Simples.

Cornie's are my preferred solution for drinking wine.

[youreds91]

Cheers for the info Cellar_Rat.

5 PSI moves it nicely. Don't leave wine under C02 for too long it will absorb it.

Yep, aware of that. Do you gas it up whilst quaffing & then release the pressure?

no2 ?? Miixed gas IMO is better, if you drink it very slowly the last couple of glasses sometimes get slight taint - it natures way of telling you to drink quicker.

Hey, I was even looking at Argon, until I saw the price! What is the %age of CO2/NO2 in mixed gas?

TFR (aka truck wash) is a brill cleaning solution to get any red wine staining off.

I'd never have contemplated using that stuff, they sell it at the local car aucions, I'll have a trip over there in due course.

[koomber]

I'm being picky but you'll be wanting N2. NO2 is Nitrogen Dioxide. It's a brown gas that is formed by the reaction of nitric acid with copper. It's toxic and naaaaasty.
You'd be wanting nitrogen which is less soluble in liquids.

[Cellar_Rat]

Mixed gas is standard pub trade stuff for guiness and a coupe of other
70/30 nitrogen/co2.

I have co2 in shed (cheapest) when I rack a 54 i end up with 3 cornies. At 5 ish PSI flush the o2 out. Release the pressure out to just above nowt.

When they go in the house they are on mixed gas - still 5 ish PSI plug in leave gas alone drink.

Buy regs that have good/easy adjustable pressure.


TFR (aka truck wash) is BRILIANT for cleaning - but be aware is a bit strong. [Caustic] Safe on glass and stainless but not on Ali.

[youreds91]

Cheers C_R, & koomber for pointing out my gas error.
My CO2 cylinder in the garage is about empty so perfect timing for the end of brewing & start of proper winemaking. I shall be changing it to mixed gas, now to find a reg.

[Cellar_Rat]

ebay for a reg - or a pub or pub suppliers (lots 2nd hand due to the terible state of the trade)

[koomber]

Hmmmm. I'll have a look at the gas cylinders at work. We use fairly large amount of Nitrogen (our cylinders are about the same height as me!) wonder if I could charge an empty CO2 cylinder

[Cellar_Rat]

wonder if I could charge an empty CO2 cylinder

Check the fittings and the operating pressures. If the fittings are very different that a sign that perhaps you shouldn't!

If you do choose to decant you will need a venting rig and donkey - let me know I did have one somewhere. Else I can draw on for you.

[Delmonteman]

OK, let me get this right (I'm getting a bit excited about this!!!!)

I can put wine in my cornies and without them becoming sparkling? I have a few questions then because i have a few empty cornies that I can happily fill with wine...!

The seal on cornies is maintained under pressure, surely the wine absorbs some of the CO2 needed to seal the keg? - doesn't this make the wine sparkling?

Do I need a different regulator for mixed gas when compared to my CO2 regulator?

How long can I keep wine in them for...? Up to a year and then say 3 to 6 months to drink?

I was trying to sell some kegs off but I might not bother now!

[youreds91]

OK, let me get this right (I'm getting a bit excited about this!!!!)

I can put wine in my cornies and without them becoming sparkling? I have a few questions then because i have a few empty cornies that I can happily fill with wine...!

The seal on cornies is maintained under pressure, surely the wine absorbs some of the CO2 needed to seal the keg? - doesn't this make the wine sparkling?

Do I need a different regulator for mixed gas when compared to my CO2 regulator?

How long can I keep wine in them for...? Up to a year and then say 3 to 6 months to drink?

I was trying to sell some kegs off but I might not bother now!

What Cellar Rat says is good stuff, he uses N2/CO2 mixed gas, so less CO2 to be absorbed. Click here for an interesting read though. N2 or Argon seems to be the stuff of choice, but Argon ain't cheap! Found an N2 (or Argon) reg here at a decent price, just need to find out the price of N2. Although I'd be interested to hear how quick Cellar Rat gets through a cornie of wine using mixed gas & what sort of a "taint" he gets at the end.

Cheers

[Cellar_Rat]

"I can put wine in my cornies and without them becoming sparkling? "
>> Yes

" doesn't this make the wine sparkling?"N
>> No

Do I need a different regulator for mixed gas when compared to my CO2 regulator?
>> Yup

"How long can I keep wine in them for...? Up to a year and then say 3 to 6 months to drink? "

>> I have had red wine in them for upto a year so yes.

[Cellar_Rat]

I use mixed gas, 'cos all else is expensive or in HUGE cylinders.

The reg you mention does seem to have all the fittings it? I do not know if they are interchangeable or if this is just a manifold.

We get through one in about 6 weeks. The very last glass has a slighlty tinny /dirty tinge - still drinkable, but very obviously the last glass. It only affects some wine, and I think this is improved by dropping the pressure here the end.

PS NEVER EVER leave you gas ON - top up and TURN OFF! And I only top up when then the tap starts dribbling.

... do I feel a book coming on!!

[youreds91]

ebay for a reg - or a pub or pub suppliers (lots 2nd hand due to the terible state of the trade)

Get in there!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/180619376165

Thanks to the seller for the poor listing so no one else picked it up. He did confirm it's a CO2/N2.